Sparkle boasts a notable cast of newcomers, who would go on to wider fame, as well as bit players who were veterans of black entertainment circuits from an earlier era. Dwan Smith costars as Delores, who becomes more interested in racial issues and politics than singing, while a teenage Irene Cara plays the title character who is destined to be the biggest star. Lonette McKee stars as Sister Williams, a beautiful, self-assured woman who falls under the sway of a smooth-talking rogue who leads her into drugs. They quickly become a sensation in the local club scene, but the sisters display disparate personalities, creating a stumbling block to fame and fortune. The trio are managed by two young men from the neighborhood, Stix and Levi. In Sparkle, three Harlem sisters-Sister, Delores and Sparkle Williams-form a singing group in dubbed Sister & the Sisters. Along the way, a diva emerges from the group while the others fall prey to the temptations of men and drugs. The essential ingredients for such a tale includes their management by a Svengali-like male, who must contend with clashing egos and a merciless music business. The success stories of these all-female singing groups were told and retold in publicity, biographies and promotional materials until an archetypal tale emerged that seemed to describe the path to success for all of them. But, before Dreamgirls, there was Sparkle, a 1976 musical starring Irene Cara, Lonette McKee and Dwan Smith, which was a precursor and maybe influence on the more well-known play and film.īoth Dreamgirls and Sparkle follow a dramatic arc familiar to a generation who grew up with the actual girl groups of the 1960s, specifically the Supremes. Most would identify this as the plot to the 1981 Broadway musical Dreamgirls and its 2006 film adaptation. As they work their way toward success, they find the road to stardom is paved with heartache, temptations and disappointments.
In the late 1950s, three talented female singers from the inner city form a girl group.
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